Post No. 15,280
Date uploaded in London – 17 December 2025
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Durga is a very popular deity. The general description of Durga given in Kashyapa silpa represents her as having four arms, two eyes, high hips, high breasts and all ornaments. She holds the conch and the discuss in her upper hands, while her right lower hand presents the Abhaya posture and the left lower hand rests the waist. She stands on a lotus pedestal and has a breast band of serpents and a red petticoat.
According to the Silparatna, Mula Durga holds in her lower hands the bow and the arrow.
From Mahabalipuram comes the figure of a Durga who stands on the buffalo’s head. She has eight arms, in the upper most of which are found the discuss and the conch. The other weapons held are the sword and the bell on the right side and the bow and the shield on the left. The lowest of the right hands holds evidently a Sriphala or the bel-fruit. And the corresponding left has a parrot perching on it and rests freely on the waist of the goddess. The necklace, breast band and the garment, hanging in folds down to her feet deserve to be noticed. The absence of finger rings on eight hands of the goddess is peculiar.
The illustration shows also other figures surrounding the goddess, viz., two male devotees with peculiar head dress kneeling at her feet, two female attendants on either side holding the sword and the bow, two demi gods, one of whom is carrying a chauri, and a lion and a deer.
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In another Mandapa at Mahabalipuram is a sculpture evidently of the same goddess with the lion and the deer , pairs of demi gods on the sides and devotees at the feet, one of whom is either cutting off his hair or his neck. The goddess has only four arms and stands on an ordinary pedestal but not on the buffalo’s head.
At Sri Mushnam in South Arcot is an image of Durga with eight arms showing almost the same symbols as those of the figure at Mahabalipuram described above, the only exception being that instead of the bell in one of the right hands , she is holding an arrow. The figure stands on the head of a buffalo without any other accompanying attendants and has an umbrella overhead.
Images of Durga with four or more arms standing on the head of a buffalo are generally found placed on the niche of northern wall of the central shrines of Siva temples in south India.
Occasionally, however, they may stand on ordinary pedestal without the buffalo’s head, as at Tiruvotriyur near Chennai.
In the Vishnu temple at Tirumalisai is a similar image, which is said to be Lakshmi, but perhaps represents Durga without the buffalo head.
Mahisasuramardini is represented in the Nrisimhaprasada as the youthful but angry Parvati with three broad eyes , a slender waist, heaving breasts, one face and twenty hands. Below her is the buffalo demon with his hand cut off and rolling on the ground. A man emerging from the buffalo’s neck is seen holding a weapon in his hand, abject with fear. Pierced by the trident of the goddess, he is vomiting blood. The lion too on which the goddess rides attack the giant with its mouth while the noose held by the gooses is tightly fastened around his neck. The goddess’ right leg is placed on the lion while the other steps on the body of the demon. This form of Chandi is propitiated by those who wish to destroy their enemies. The ruling family of Mysore has Chamunda – Chandi for its tutelary deity.
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Durga is Krishna’s sister
The puranas say that Durga was born of Yashoda in order to save the life of Krishna, who was just then born to Devaki. The children were exchanged under divine intervention. Kamsa, the cruel brother of Devaki , who had vowed to kill all the children of his sister, thought that this female child was Devaki’s and dashed it against a stone. But, then, the child flew into air and assuming the form of Durga/ Maha Maya mocked him and went away. On account of this she is known as the sister of Vasudeva Krishna.
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Durga , Chamunda and Mahishasuramardini are seen holding the Vaishnavite symbols of discuss and conch.
Mahisa asura = buffalo demon
It is stated that the active energy of Siva, which is Vishnu himself, receives the nameKkali while it assumes an energy mood, that in battles it is recognised as Durga and that in peace and pleasure it takes the form of Bhavani/ Parvati.
Chamunda is another form of Parvati when she killed the giant called Chanda – Munda
The Silpa sastra mentions a Chandika/ Chamunda of eighteen arms to whom God Siva presented trisula/trident Krishna, the conch, Agni, the weapon called Sakti.
According to Markandeya Purana, the goddess that killed the buffalo demon was made up of the fierce radiance of Siva, Vishnu and Brahma while all other gods contributed the powers peculiarly characteristic of them for the formation of her limbs and ornaments.
Chamunda may be represented with 8, 10, 12 or 16 arms made either of wood or of mortar. When in dancing posture she must have 8, 6 or 4 hands. She is known by name Karaali or Bhadrakaali when she has 8 arms, Kaala bhadraa when she has 6 arms, and Kaali when she has 4 arms.
Bhadrakaali has a terrible face, fat breasts, protruding teeth and a long tongue and wears a garland of skulls.
She rides on a lion and stamps under her foot the head of the buffalo demon.
Hemadri quoting the Vishnudharmottara says that Bhadrakali has 18 arms and is seated in the aalidha posture in a car drawn by four lions. When worshipped by Brahmanas she has 10 arms, Jatamakuta and all ornaments.
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Kaalabhadraa has a beautiful white form but is fierce, being worshipped in burial grounds under the name of Karaala bhadraa, seated in the Viirasana posture with the foot placed over the head of the buffalo demon. The same goddess when worshipped by the Kshatriyas is called Kaali or Mahaa Kaali. In this form she ordinarily holds a trident or sword in one hand and a skull or a cup of wine or fire in the other, rides on a corpse and has a lean stomach.
The owl is her vehicle.
She wears the tiger skin, a scarf of elephant’s hide and a garland of heads; has three eyes and the ear ornaments are shaped like conches.; and is fond of flesh and blood. She is followed by evil spirits who fill the four quarters with their roar, and she roams about the earth riding on their shoulders.
Kali is represented sometimes with 12 or 16 arms and called Charcharaa and Bhairavi respectively.
–subham—
Tags-Hinduism through 500 Pictures in Tamil and English-31; படங்கள் மூலம் இந்து மதம் கற்போம்-31, Durga, Kali,Chamunda, Mahisauramardini
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